Potential of plant growth-promoting microbes for improving plant and soil health for biotic and abiotic stress management in mangrove vegetation

Abstract

The mangrove ecosystem is a sensitive and highly productive ecosystem in the sea-land transition zone. Mangroves are almost saturated with marine ecosystems and provide ecological services and the organisms of the mangrove ecosystem are adapted to the dynamic conditions of the intertidal zone. For global sustainability, anthropogenic activities that destroy mangrove ecosystems must be reduced, and effective management is needed to mitigate these threats to improve mangrove health and ecosystem services. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), which include growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) such as Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Arthrobacter, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Flavobacterium, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Rhizobium, plant growth promoting actinobacteria (PGPA) Actinophytocola, Nocardiopsis, Pseudonocardia, and Streptomyces, plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF) Aspergillus, Fusarium, Gliocladium, Humicola, Penicillium, Phoma, and Trichoderma and plant growth promoting cyanobacteria (PGPC) like Anabaena, Aphanothece, Calothrix, Lyngbya, Microcoleus, Nostoc, and Oscillatoria help the mangrove plants to acquire nutrients, produce growth-promoting substances, and resist stress. In addition, PGPMs promote nutrient cycling, leaf litter degradation, organic and inorganic pollutant remediation, pathogen inhibition, and enhance soil stabilization. The biofilm formed by PGPMs increases physical, chemical, and biological stress resistance, and the associated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) stabilize the soil. This complex and highly structured microbial community is essential to plant and soil health. The primary goal of this review is to explore the ecological interactions between microbes, mangrove plants, and the intertidal environment, focusing on implementing PGPM-based strategies to sustain mangrove ecosystems. Additionally, this review explores how PGPMs enhance plant and soil health, mitigate stress in mangrove vegetation, and improve ecosystem services.